Jon Williams, the BBC World Editor, sent a note to colleagues yesterday telling them: "Our thoughts are with Jihad and the rest of the team in Gaza.

"This is a particularly difficult moment for the whole bureau in Gaza.

We're fortunate to have such a committed and courageous team there. It's a sobering reminder of the challenges facing many of our colleagues."

Britain has urged restraint from the parties involved in the attacks.

Israel's last major operation in Gaza began at the end of December 2008, six weeks shy of general elections, when troops embarked on a 22-day campaign which killed 1,400 Palestinians - half of them civilians - and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.

When this article was first posted it said that an Israeli air strike was responsible for the death of the child. It has since been amended in the light of UN Human Rights Council report which suggested that the child was killed by what "appeared to be a Palestinian rocket that fell short of Israel".